Guide to CPSIA Regulations for Children’s Jewelry

The Consumer Product Safety Act, or CPSIA, is a landmark consumer safety law in the United States, which has granted additional authority to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in ensuring that products sold on the US market are safe for their intended use.

Among many other regulations, the CPSC adopted a comprehensive set of requirements and specifications with regard to children’s jewelry, known as ASTM F2923 "Standard specification for consumer product safety for children’s Jewelry".

By setting out specifications for children’s jewelry, ASTM F2923 aims to ensure that such jewelry will not harm the child wearing it. As ASTM F2923 is an extensive document, this guide will cover a summary of its specifications. You can find the full specifications on the ASTM website here, or contact an expert for more detailed information.

What is Children's Jewelry?

ASTM F2923 defines "children's jewelry" as an item of jewelry that is intended to be worn primarily by a child of 12 years or younger. Furthermore, in order to distinguish jewelry from toys or other items, only the following are considered as jewelry:

• Bracelet, brooch, chain, crown or tiara, cufflink, hair accessories, earrings or ear cuffs, necklace, pins, ring, body piercing jewelry, jewelry placed in the mouth for display or ornament, anklet.
• Any charm, bead, chain, link, pendant or other attachment to shoes or clothing designed to be removed and worn, alone or attached to an item in as jewelry.
• Jewelry that contains a timepiece. This does not apply to a wristwatch or other timepieces whose principal function is not decorative.
• Beads or other jewelry components in self-assembly craft kits where the final assembled jewelry product is principally designed and intended as children's jewelry.

If the jewelry you intend to export to the US falls within the definition of children's jewelry, it needs to adhere to the specifications of ASTM F2923.

It should be noted that the specifications of ASTM F2923 addresses two main types of hazards: toxicity and mechanical.

Toxicity Specifications

The toxicity specifications in ASTM F2923 are mainly focused on the presence of harmful metals. The specifications are different depending on the specific metal, its location in the jewelry, and how the jewelry is intended to be worn. The following metals are included in the specifications:

• Lead - Lead content cannot exceed 100 ppm (100 Parts Per Million) in substrate and cannot exceed 90ppm in coating and paint
• Cadmium - Cadmium content cannot exceed 75 ppm in any component. However, additional requirements apply if the component can be swallowed by a child, in which case, restrictions apply to the amount of cadmium that can be released from the jewelry into the body
• Nickel - Any jewelry that is intended to be pierced through the skin (e.g. earring posts), or worn against the skin for a prolonged period must pass maximum metal release specifications
• Antimony, arsenic, barium, chromium, mercury, selenium - Any paints or coating of children’s jewelry must be tested for the presence of these soluble toxic metals
• Phthalates - Plasticized accessible components of children’s jewelry may not contain more than 0.1 percent (1000 ppm) of the following phthalates: di-(2-ethyhexyl) phthalates (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalates (DINP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-pentyl phthalates (DPENP), di-n-hexyl phthalates (DHEXP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP)

Mechanical Specifications

In addition to toxicity specifications, ASTM F2923 also contains specifications regarding the physical characteristics of jewelry that can pose a risk of injury to children.

• Jewelry worn around the neck - In order to prevent strangulation, any jewelry intended to be worn around the neck, such as necklaces, must break under tension with a force of 15 pounds or more.
• Jewelry containing magnets - Magnets present a hazard to children: when inhaled or swallowed, they may pinch internal organs, causing serious damage. No jewelry may contain loose magnets in “as received” condition. Additionally, no magnet should break free from the jewelry after use and abuse testing.
• Jewelry containing batteries - If the batteries used in the jewelry can become swallowed, such batteries must be securely retained in the jewelry in a way that makes them impossible to remove without a tool.
• Sharp or dangerous edges - Jewelry intended for children 8 years or younger must not have any edges or points that could cause injury.

QIMA - CPSIA and ASTM F2923 Specification Testing

QIMA is able to test your jewelry and ensure it conforms to the ASTM F2923 specifications. In addition, QIMA is able to test jewelry against the import specification of Canada and the EU, and any stand-alone laboratory tests as required by your market.

We operate labs globally in Asia, Europe and Americas.

Get in contact with QIMA today to make sure your jewelry is ready for export.